In modern business and industry, records and documents are often produced with the aid of computers and printed on high-speed computer printers. It is common for such records and documents to be printed on sheet material such as computer paper of the type commonly known as EDP paper. EDP paper typically consists of a large number of sheets connected together along tearable perforations and folded one upon the other in fan-fold fashion. Each sheet is provided along opposed marginal edge portions with perforations adapted to register with pins within a printer to maintain the paper in proper alignment. Computer paper is usually shipped to users in cardboard boxes that can contain several thousand sheets.
Handling and transporting computer paper can be difficult and frustrating. The paper usually fits tightly into its shipping container so that the paper is virtually impossible to lift from the container. As a consequence, in order to remove paper from its container, it is often necessary to cut or otherwise destroy the container or simply remove the top of the container, upend it and dump the paper onto the floor or table. Once removed, the paper can be heavy and ungainly such that attempts to carry it often cause the paper to topple to the floor creating a frustrating mess.
Heretofore, efforts have been directed toward organizing and storing business records printed on computer paper. Such efforts have resulted in binders and other storage devices such as those exemplified by U.S. Pat. Nos. 3,217,372 of Fellowes, 3,706,502 of LaFleur and 4,288,170 of Barber. While these devices greatly simplify storage of computer records, they are of little use when unpacking and handling stacks of paper prior to its being printed, bound and stored. There is a perceived and unaddressed need for an apparatus and method for collecting, containing and facilitating convenient hand carrying of stacks of sheet material such as computer paper. It is to the provision of such a method and apparatus that the present invention is primarily directed.